25 June 2010

Match of the Days Gone By

Films documenting sporting highlights from the Edwardian era will be brought to life at the University of Sheffield next week (30 June 2010), giving the public a rare chance to see the work of early filmmakers Mitchell & Kenyon.

A curtain raiser to the conference ‘Visual/ Physical: Discourses on Sport and Performance Cultures’, organised by the Department of Hispanic Studies on 1-2 July, the Mitchell & Kenyon Show on Edwardian Sports will give members of the public an opportunity to see and learn about sporting action at the turn of the century.

Narrated by Professor Vanessa Toulmin, a leading authority on the Mitchell & Kenyon collection, the films will feature the titans of professional football, cycling, athletics and rugby, as well as amateur sport and leisure in Edwardian life. Highlights of the films include Sheffield United vs Bury (starring the legendary Fatty Foulkes) and a fancy dress swimming race.

One of the most exciting discoveries of recent times, the Mitchell & Kenyon films were commissioned by travelling exhibitors at the dawn of the twentieth century for screening in town halls, at village fetes and local fairs. The films lay forgotten in a photographic shop in Blackburn for over 70 years, but were identified and researched by Professor Vanessa Toulmin. They now provide the most comprehensive cinematographic record of everyday people in Britain at the turn of the 20th Century.

Dr David Wood, Head of the University’s Department of Hispanic Studies, said: “This is a terrific opportunity for people to see material from this fantastic collection and connect with the public interest in sports, especially at the moment. Our conference will be looking at how sports are represented in a variety of visual media, and this is an ideal way of getting those issues across. We’re very grateful to Vanessa for working with us on this and encourage people to come along to what should be a fun evening.”

The film screening will feature musical accompaniment by the Everly Pregnant Brothers. The local ukulele-band comprises of comedy star Toby Foster, city artist Pete McKee, his son Charlie, ITN's Klive Humberstone, Richard Bailey, Ginger Dave and singer Big Shaun Doane of the Sharp Cuts.

The event will take place at 7pm at the University’s Firth Court on Wednesday 30 June 2010. It is open to all and is free to attend. Tickets will be available on the door on a a first-come, first-served basis.